As space activity accelerates, heritage questions have outpaced governance, leaving space heritage sites without binding protection. This paper asks how accountable conservation decisions may be made when access and long-term control are both limited, and loss is sometimes unavoidable. A cross-disciplinary literature review and 11 semi-structured interviews with conservators, heritage researchers, engineers, curators, and specialists in space law and space heritage were evaluated to identify recurring decision pressures. The study develops six evaluative tests for space-based cultural heritage ensembles: ensemble integrity, proportional-care, ethical-foresight, shared stewardship, accessibility, and decolonising practice, applied through a decision record that documents options, limits, and accepted loss. Case studies of Tranquillity Base, the International Space Station, and an artwork titled The Moonhouse demonstrate how the framework supports transparent evaluation of conservation options under persistent constraint.
Fiorella Lavado Chiarella (Wed,) studied this question.